Pep Guardiola said that Manchester City need the Jack Grealish of last season if they are to be successful this year.
Guardiola declared that “Jack is back” after the England international returned ahead of schedule from a groin injury that he suffered in the Champions League win over Copenhagen two weeks ago.
Grealish, 28, has endured a stop-start campaign because of a leg injury he suffered at the end of August and a series of subpar displays at the start of the campaign. But Guardiola insists that he has not given up on Grealish, who is set to start in Tuesday night’s FA Cup fifth round tie away to Luton Town.
“Hopefully he can make the impact he had last season,” Guardiola said of Grealish, who scored five goals and set up 11 more last term. “It depends on him. He played lots of minutes last season, and this season less in the beginning. He is the same player, he has the same manager, and the way we play has not changed. It’s the same. Nothing has changed. It’s just the way he has performed. That’s the difference.
“He is still the same lovely person, a lovely guy, has the same qualities and same skills he’s always had. I said from day one: we need him, he has a special quality for our team. It depends on him. Hopefully he can do a good last three months. It’s up to him.”
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The England international has scored three goals and set up two more, which is a worse return than Jérémy Doku, who has five goals and six assists to his name. Grealish’s all-round game is superior to Doku’s — his ball retention is better, for example— but Guardiola said that he cannot guarantee the £100 million man regular game time unless he is at the top of his game.
“I cannot give him or anyone three or four games for them to get their rhythm,” he said. “What about the other 17 players [in the squad]? At a high level, people don’t wait to be fit.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola has pleaded with Kevin De Bruyne to stay with City. It was reported last week that Saudi Arabian clubs have indicated that they will pursue the 32-year-old Belgian, whose contract expires at the end of next season.
“I’d love him to stay but I don’t know,” Guardiola said. “I would love him to stay until the end of his career, but everyone is everyone.”
Oscar Bobb has agreed a new five-year contract worth about £50,000 a week. The 20-year-old Norway winger has broken into the first team this season, scoring two goals and recording two assists in 16 appearances.
